Ear-piercing instrument



(ModeL) F.X.X.AVERY. BAR PIERGING INSTRUMENT.

Patented Nov. 29,1881.

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NITED STATES EAR- PIERCING INSTF lUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,121, dated November29, 1881.

Application filed December 3, 1880. Renewed October 5, 1881. (ModelJ Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS X. XAVERY, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovementin Ear-Piercing Instruments, of which the following is aspecification.

The object I have in view is to produce simple and convenient means forpiercing ears, in which the ear-ring itself can be used as thepiercing-point, and will be released by the instrument when the hole isformed, so as to remain in the ear till healed.

" My invention consists in the peculiar de vices and combinationsofdevices employed by me for this purpose, as fully hereinafterexplained, and pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figurel is a sideelevation of the instrument; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, adetail View of the end of the clamping-jaw; Fig. 4, a side elevation ofa modified form of the instrument; Fig. 5, an end view of the same; andFig. 6 a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a detachablepiercing-point for the wires of ear-rin gs.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

The instrument is provided with a springclamp, A, composed of two arms,between which the Wire of the ear-ringis held, the same being retainedin a central position by notches aintheendsof theclamping-arms.Theclamping-arms are forced together by a dog, B, pivoted thereto, andhaving two fingers, b, which embrace said arms and work over beveledenlargements on the sides of the arms, so that when said dog is forcedforward the clamping arms will be forced together, and when the dog isdrawn back such arms will be released and will spring apart. -This doghas a handle, 12, by which it can be moved. In the preferred form of myinstrument, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, these clamping-arms are carried on one ofthe jaws of a pair of pliers, C, the. other jaw of which has a socket,D, for receiving the end of the ear-ring after it is forced through theear. This socket D is preferably filled with some soft material that canbe readily pierced. The dog B is connected by a small chain, B, with aplate, 0, which is adjustably secured to one of the handles of thepliers, 'so that when the pliers are closed and the ear is pierced thechain B will automatically pull back the dog and release theclamping-arms, allowing the instrument to be removed from the ear andleave the ear-ring in position.

E is a narrow plate, which is pivoted by a ring, (I, on the screw thatholds the parts of the pliers together, and projects up between thesocket D and clamp A. This plate is forced toward the clamp A by aspring, E, and it is provided with an open slot,c. The obj ect of thisplate is to force the lobe of the ear away from the socket D when theear-ring is released. The handles of the pliers are provided with ad justin g-screw f, to regulate the separation of the socket and clamp whenthe pliers are closed. The ear-rin g F, which is used for this purpose,has a sharp-pointed wirp, g. It is grasped by the clamp A, in theposition shown in Fig. l, the plate E is then pushed toward the socketD, and the lobe of the ear is introducedbetween such plate and the pointof the ear-r1ng. The pliers are then forced together and the earpierced, when the chain B draws back the dog B and the clampis released.Theinstrnment can now be removed from the ear and leave the ear-ring inposition. The sharp point of the earring can then be cut off; but thisis not necessary, if the ear-ring is provided with a closed keeper, suchas is used on safety-pins.

When it is desired to place in the ears earrings not provided withsharpened points the removable cutting-points h, Fig. 6, are used.

These can be detached from the wires of the ear-rings after the holesare formed.

A modified form of the instrument is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In thisconstruction the clamping-arms A are held by a handle, H, and the handleb of the dogB projects toward the handle H, so that it can be depressedby the thumb to release the clamping-arms. The earring is held in theclamp of this instrument and is forced through the lobe of the ear, whenthe handle of the dog is depressed and the instrument removed, leavingthe ear-ring in position.

What I claim as my invention isl. In an ear-piercing instrument, theclamping-arms A, for holding the piercing-point, in

combination with thedog B, for forcing such arms together, substantiallyas described and shown.

2. The ear-piercing pliers 0, having one jaw provided with clamp A forholding the piercin g-point, and the other jaw provided with thecushion-socket D, substantially as described and shown.

3. In ear-piercing pliers, the combination of the socket D, clamp A, anddog B, automatically operated by a chain, B, connected with one of theplier-arms, substantially as described and shown.

4. The ear-piercing instrument described, consisting of pliers 0, havingclamp A,.olosed 15 by dog B, cushion-socket D, and spring-plate E,substantially as set forth and shown.

FRANCIS XIXAVERY.

Witnesses F. W. KASEHAGEN, OLIVER W. MARBLE.

